Womens Infertility

Herbs are most successful in treating a woman's infertility when the problem is the result of a hormonal imbalance. An imbalance can occur for a number of reasons, including the menstrual cycle being disrupted by birth control pills. Herbs also help the estimated one-twelfth of women in the United States who are infertile due to uterine fibroids or pelvic inflammatory disease, as long as there is no scarring or other structural damage. Structural problems, such as a blocked fallopian tube, are difficult to treat with herbs—they usually require surgery.

Before you can treat infertility, you must first determine the root of the problem. To start, rule out the most obvious possibilities, along with some not-so-obvious ones. And remember, the chances are 50/50 that the source of the problem lies with your partner. If you are extremely athletic or underweight, you may not have enough body fat. Recently, the medical community has determined that women whose fat falls below one-quarter of their total body weight have trouble conceiving because they often do not ovulate. This condition affects some world-class women athletes.

Plain stress can be another factor. Researchers at the Mind/Body Program for Infertility at New England Deaconess Hospital in Massachusetts found that one-third of previously infertile women became pregnant after they learned relaxation techniques. For more information of herbal methods of relaxation, see "Stress" in chapter 20.

There are a number of herbs that increase fertility, such as vitex, Siberian ginseng, don quai from China and the aptly named motherwort. Numerous Chinese studies on don quai show that it helps the ovaries function better and helps to re-establish a normal cycle and fertility.

For many women, the problem is not becoming pregnant, but avoiding miscarriage once they are pregnant. Fertility experts say that women often miscarry before they even realize that they are pregnant. In Germany, quite a bit of research has been done on vitex. This herb has been found to increase levels of three hormones in pregnant women: progesterone, prolactin and luteinizing hormone (LH). All of these hormones work together to help a woman become pregnant, sustain pregnancy and promote the production of breast milk. These fertility-increasing herbs also decrease the likelihood of miscarriage. Another way to prevent miscarriage is to keep the uterus relaxed with wild yam and cramp bark.

There may also be a connection between early miscarriage and the immune system. Medical researchers at Methodist Hospital in Indiana discovered that the immune systems of almost half of the infertile women they examined were either too lax or too aggressive.

I've seen many cases where women who have built up their immunity with herbs have become pregnant. Lisa, for example, was unable to conceive for many years and also found that she was prone to colds and flus. She decided to build up her immunity against these viruses by taking herbs. Six months later, she was very happily surprised to find herself pregnant.

I know a number of other mothers who say that herbs helped them to get pregnant. While we cannot say for sure that herbs made the difference, it is my hunch that they did. Take Debra, for instance. I used to see her only once a year at a crafts fair where I sell aromatherapy products. She often bought a bottle of the Pregnant Belly Oil (see chapter 68) I make, but she always said that it was for a friend. Once, she mentioned that one of these years, she hoped to be buying a bottle for herself. When she asked me if I had ever heard of don quai helping infertility, I readily admitted that I had and even knew quite a few babies whose births were attributed to the herb. I did not see Debra again until a year later, and she was carrying her newborn. She proudly held him up, saying, "This is Evan, who is here thanks to herbs." Three years later, she was back with Evan, now a toddler, and little Sarah, another herbal success baby.

Fertility Tea

1 teaspoon each don quai root, Siberian ginseng root and vitex berries

1 teaspoon each motherwort leaves, cramp bark and wild yam rhizome

1 quart water

Place herbs and water in a pot and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and steep for 20 minutes. Strain out herbs. Drink 2 cups a day. These herbs can also be taken in tincture form.